Device for playing parlor games.



No. 670,262. Patented Mar. I9, 1901.

A. WEINTRAUD.

DEVICE FOR PLAYING PARLOR GAMES.

(Application filed Feb. 3, 1900.) (No Model.)

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(No Model) No. 670.262. Patented'Mar. 19, MN. A. WEINTRAUD.

DEVICE FOR PLAYING PARLOR GAMES (Application filed Feb. 3, 1900.] (No Model.) 4 sheets shoet 3.

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UNiTnn STATES ATENT FF ICE.

ALFRED VVEINTRAUD, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

DEVICE FOR PLAYING PARLOR GAMES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 670,262, dated March 19, 1901.

Application filed February 3, 1900. Serial No. 3,894. No model.)

To 0.6!, whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED WVEINTRAUD, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at London, England, have invented a novel Device for Playing Parlor Games, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The present invention consists of a novel device for playing parlor games, and comprises the details of construction hereinafter set forth and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The device consists, essentially, in means for allowing one of a number of differentlycolored balls contained in a receptacle to become visible for a short time and then tobe returned to the receptacle again and again mixed with the other balls, so that the color of the ball appearingis determined by chance alone. The receptacle is closed, and the construction of the same is such that it is impossible to extract a ball from the same or to insert a ball therein.

In order to render the present specification easily intelligible, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters of reference denote similar parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a plan of the playing-table with the ball-receptacle. line A B of Fig. 1. Figs. Sto 6 show the ballreceptacle, Fig. 3 being a side elevation of the same, Fig. 2 a vertical section on the line C D of Fig. 3, Fig. 5 a horizontal section on the line J K of Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 a part vertical section taken on the line E F of Fig. 5. Figs. 7 to 10 show a modified form of ballreceptacle, Fig. 7 being a vertical section through the same, Fig. 8 a rear elevation, Fig. 9 a plan, and Fig. 10 a section on line G H of Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a part side elevation with the ball-receptacle in vertical section.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 6, the casing 10 incloses the ball-receptacle, as hereinafter particularly set forth, and from this casing the ball issues through the outlet b with door m, runs down the inclined channel n into the hole p, being visible during this time, passes along the lower channel 0, Fig. 2, around a curved channel 0, located in the lower part of the casing to, and into the bottom of a lat- Fig. 2 is a section on erally-formed chute d, Fig. 5. This chute is formed with vertical slots cl at either side, which are large enough to allow the ball therein to be grasped by two fingers and raised in the slot, but are not large enough to allow the ball to be taken out through the said slots. The ball is now raised, in that the attendant or the party having the bank grasps it with his forefinger and thumb and raises it, turning it into the upper curved part of the chute d, whence when released from the grasp it falls onto an annular plate inclined downwardly toward the center, and from this plate or flange 0 the ball falls back into the receptacle proper, a, Fig. 6. The receptacle a is fitted within the casing u and is of smaller diameter than the same, being provided with an outlet opening g large enough to allow one ball to pass therethrough. The receptacle Ct is stationary and provided with a movable bottom plate 6, keyed to a spindlef, which projects out at the top of the casing to, and is provided with a suitable handle. This vertical spindlefextends downwardly through a suitable opening in a bridge-piece 11, mounted by means of a ring within the casing it, and below the bridge '0 the spindle carries a crossbar 1}, having fixed at each end thereof a vertical upwardly-extending rod is and q. These rods are both guided in the cross-bar or bridge 1;, and the former carries a slantingly-arranged chute h, which extends between the outside of the receptacle a and the interior of the casing it and serves, when raised with the spindle f, to receive one ball through the opening g of the receptacle. Only one ball can pass onto the chute h at a time from the opening g, because the distance of the walls of a and it apart will not allow a second ball to pass out simultaneously.

The device operates in the following manner: If it is desired to throw one ball onto the chute n, so that the same may become visible, the spindlef is raised and taking the bottom plate 6 with it raises all the differently-colored balls thereon until they are on a level with the outlet-opening g. The ball next the outlet will pass onto the chute h and remain between it and the receptacle and casing-walls. On lowering the bottom again to its normal position the ball on it will be taken down and will by its weight roll down the chute h and out at Z), pushing back the door m. From the opening I) the ball passes onto the chute 'n, where it will be visible as it runs down the same to the opening 19. The ball then passes along the inclined channel 0 back to the casing through the curved channel 0' into the bottom of the slotted chute (1. Here it is grasped by the fingers and raised, as previously described. In order to mix the balls when onehasjust been returned, the plate e may be turned by the spindle f, to which it is keyed, so that the possibility of one and the same ball appearing twice following, unless by pure chance, is avoided.

According to the ball-receptacle and mixing device shown at. Fig. 11 the ball is released by turning the receptacle a. This receptacle a is not stationary, but is mounted to rotate on the spindle fby means of bevel-gearing 9" 0" and a lever 15, mounted outside the casing u and adapted to operate the bevelgears to turn the receptacle backward and forward. The said receptacle is provided with two doors 3 s, which when they are turned so as to register with an opening or inclined chute I) can open outwardly under the pressure of the ball on the inclined bottom plate 6, so that a ball may run out and down the incline b and through the door on. The doors 53 will be closed, as soon as the receptacle a is again turned, by contact with the sides of the chute b, which may be inclined, so as to close them without jarring. The receptacle is limited in its rotary movement by a stop, (not shown,) and when it is turned forward the doors are in position to open at the end of the stroke, and as soon as one ball has passed out it should be turned backward, when the doors will be immediately closed. The halls may be mixed by turning the bottom plate e by means of the spindle f, the said plate being mounted to turn independently of the receptacle (1. The other parts of the device are similar to those already described and are lettered to correspond.

In Figs. 7 to 10 a modified form of ball-receptacle and means for mixing the balls is illustrated. According to this device a bottle-shaped receptacle a is pivotally supported at one side by means of a screw 2 and at the other side by means of a lug having screwed therein a crank-handle (1 by means of which the receptacle may be turned around. The front part of the bottle-neck is cut away to form an outlet for one of the balls. The bottle-neck is closed during its rotation by means of the flanged ring (a, the front flange of which closes the lateral outlet and the approximately horizontal fiange the top of the bott-le-neck. The front flange is cut away for a short distance at the bottom and provided with a downwardly-opening door 3 which when in the position illustrated forms a bridge connecting the inverted bottle-neck outlet with the chute I) having door 021. The

pressure of the balls when the bottle is inverted forces the lowest ball outwardly,which presses the door 11 down, forming the bridge to the chute b. In order to prevent the next following ball from passing out with the first, a finger 7 is provided,pivotally mounted at 6 and extending into the path of movement of the bottle-neck. The bottle-neck is provided with a horizontally-disposed slot .9, which when the receptacle is inverted passes over the finger 7, so that the latter then extends into the bottleneck, as illustrated at Fig. 7, and holds the next following ball up, the space below the said finger being just large enough to allow the lowest ball to pass under the same. The finger 7is advantageously pressed into position by a spring 9. In this case 0 indicates the return-chute,and (l is the chute with slots in which the returning ball is raised. A short distance above the bottom of the bottle an opening 3 is provided, which when the receptacle a is standing upright registers with the outlet-opening of the chute cl. The chute d serves as a standard for the frame 1 and for the bearing of the spindle or lug carrying the crank-handle d This chute further carries a flange 4, which serves to cover the opening 3 of the receptacle a when the same is inverted, as will be clearly seen from Fig. 7, and in order to prevent the possibility of a ball being inserted into the chute d when the receptacleis in theinverted position a wire guard 5 is provided, which when the receptacle is turned around comes between the opening or mouth of chute (Z and the receptacle, thus efiectually preventing the insertion of any extra ball or balls.

In order to insure the proper action of the cover y, the hinge-spindle of the same is advantageously extended out of the casing u, and provided with a handle 2, Fig. 8, which enables this cover or door to be operated by hand.

The game may be regulated in many ways and by many sets of rules. It may also be adapted to be played by hand,i11 that the ta ble 1 is provided with uprights 12, forming open tubes or slotted tubes and thelowerend of each upright being in communication with the top end of an inclined channel 10 leading to the hole p, but not extending right up to it, Fig. 1, the object being to throw or push the balls from the channel 10 into the holep. This may either be done by hand or, as indicated at Fig. 11, by means of a one, in which case cue-rests 13 are provided at each chute or standard 12. The lower end of the tube 12 may be enlarged so as to receive the ball to be fired toward the hole 1), and the latter may be set off by allowing another ball to fall down the tube 12 and strike the top of the ball at the bottom, by which means the latter will be forced out toward the hole 17.

I claim as my invention-- 1. A device in connection with parlor games for exposing one of a number of diiferentlycolored balls for a short time and returning the same to the receptacle, consisting of a housing having an outlet and a downwardlyinclined return-tube, a chute extending to the top of the said housing and exterior of the same, the lower end of said chute being in communication with the return tube said chute having at either side slots extending from the bottom to the top, said slots being broad enough to enable a ball lying at the bottom of the chute to be grasped by the fingers of the operator, but not extracted from the chute, a ball-receptacle within the housing having above the bottom a ball-outlet and an inclined chute to establish communication between the said receptacle-outletand the housing-outlet and means within the receptacle, operable from without the housing to mix the balls and to project one ball only at a time through the receptacle-outlet substantially as described.

2. The combination of a bottle serving as a ball-receptacle, pivotal supports for the same and means for turning it on its pivot, a housing in communication with said bottle having an outlet and a return-tube, a Verticallydisposed return-chute having lateral slots as specified and means for establishing communication between its upper end and the interior of the bottle, an annular angular flange to retain the open end of the bottle closed during the greater part of its rotation, a door at the bottom of said flange to establish com munication between it and the outlet-chute of the housing when opened and means for holding up the balls above the one to be let out when the receptacle is inverted and means for covering the inlet-opening for the returning balls when the receptacle is inverted in the manner and for the purpose substantially as described.

3. The combination of a housing having a ball-outlet, a return-tube and a verticallydisposed return-chute having lateral slots through which the ball may be grasped but not extracted, a ball-receptacle in open communication with said housing an inclined chute between the receptacle-outlet and the housing-outlet and means in connection with the receptacle for mixing the balls and precipitating one at a time onto the said inclined chute and for returning them to the said slotted chute and means for directing the fall of the ball when lifted in the slotted return-chute, into the ball-receiver substantially as described.

4. The combination of a housing having a return-tube,in communication with the open, a vertically-disposed return-chute having longitudinal lateral slots through which the ball may be grasped but not extracted and being in communication at its lower end with the return-tube and having open communication at its upper end with the ball-receptacle, a ball-outlet to the receptacle and a ball-outlet to the housing at a lower level, an inclined chute to establish comunication between the two outlets, a table in connection with the housing having a comically-inclined surrface and an outlet atits lowest point, an inclined return-channel from the said outlet to the return-tube of the housing in the manner and for the purpose substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED WEINTRAUD.

Witnesses:

HERBERT D. J AMESON, FREDK. L. RANDS. 

